The world’s largest battery maker CATL has introduced a brand new electrical automobile battery pack with a 1.5 million kilometre, 15 12 months guarantee. For reference the typical Australian passenger automobile drives lower than 15,000 km per 12 months so a 1.5 million km battery would final about 100 years value of common driving.
The corporate has joined forces with Yutong Heavy Industries, who might be utilizing the lengthy life battery packs of their buses and heavy autos. Yutong, considered one of China’s largest bus producers, started its first 10-year strategic partnership with CATL in 2012.
In response to CnEVPost, CATL and Yutong signed a brand new 10-year strategic cooperation framework settlement in 2022.
The brand new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery will be capable to cater to completely different market segments, together with buses, mild vehicles and heavy vehicles, and might be utilized in future merchandise from Yutong Bus and Yutong Heavy Industries.
In response to Don Imrie, who works within the electrical bus trade and was interviewed by The Pushed in 2023, the typical metropolitan bus travels round 300 km per shift which implies a 1.5 million km guarantee would final round 13 years value bus shifts driving each day of the 12 months.
The long-life battery may also have zero degradation within the first 1,000 cycles, Yutong mentioned. This successfully means a battery with 500 km of vary would have zero capability degradation for the primary half million kilometres.
CATL continues string of main breakthroughs in battery know-how
The brand new 1.5 million km guarantee is the most recent in collection of breakthroughs coming from CATL. Final 12 months the corporate introduced it will start mass manufacturing of a brand new “condensed” battery with 500 Wh/kg, virtually double the power density of the batteries at present utilized in Tesla autos.
The upper power density batteries and longer lifecycles are the proper resolution for heavy autos reminiscent of buses and vehicles which do lots of kilometres and wish to hold heavy payloads.
On high of the improved power density and lifespan, CATL has additionally considerably decreased manufacturing prices over the previous 12 months. In January the CATL introduced it will cut back the fee per kWh of its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells by a surprising 50 per cent by mid 2024.
The speed at which CATL is decreasing battery prices has stunned even know-how analysts like Tony Seba, who 10 years in the past predicted such low prices would solely be reached in 2027.
Li-ion #batteries from CATL and BYD dropping as little as $56/kWh. 🔋
“Presently, VDA-sized #LFPcells are promoting for lower than RMB 0.5/Wh [USD $69.53/kWh]. Leapmotor’s vp Cao Li lately mentioned in an interview that the corporate’s procurement value for LFP cells has dropped… https://t.co/QasXsLvqtJ
— Tony Seba (@tonyseba) January 20, 2024
Daniel Bleakley is a clear know-how researcher and advocate with a background in engineering and enterprise. He has a robust curiosity in electrical autos, renewable power, manufacturing and public coverage.